Five Sentence Fiction :: Falling

The darkness was like a cocoon surrounding her and the soft glow of the candle beside her. On the bed beside her, a book lay, open, but forgotten, as she stared up at the ceiling, feeling herself being dragged down by the spiral of words running circles through her mind. She blinked, slowly, and the tear that had been gathering in the corner of her eye was forced out, then caught in it’s roll as she swiped frustratedly at it. Happy thoughts, she told herself, trying to bring to mind memories of laughter and light, but the candle wasn’t enough to fight back the darkness of her mind. The words wouldn’t stop coming, and in the end, it was easier to ignore the fall of the tears and give in to the sadness, and hope that tomorrow was a happier day.

~~~

Um, wow. Well that turned a lot more glum than I planned. Don’t write while tired, kids! Joining in for Five Sentence Fiction this week, with the prompt “Falling”

Please do not ever apologize for writing dark/depressive work. We don’t live on the Disneyland Planet. People feel sad, and it’s nothing to apologize for.
Some people (myself included) live with mood disorders. This certainly isn’t singling you out, but I get so tired of people apologizing for writing dark material. This is what our culture has taught us: that we are being a burden when we express anything other than Stepford happiness. This simply isn’t true.

Thank you for such a thought-provoking comment! I certainly don’t feel singled out, I appreciate your point of view, and it has prompted me to try and work out why I felt the need to apologise. I think it is because this little space of mine, I try and keep as a happy place. For me, more than anything. I like to keep the face I show the world a pleasant one, rightly or wrongly, and so writing darker, sadder pieces, I often feel the need to apologise and gain some distance (both in my perspective & that of my readers) between the writing and my own mood and outlook.

/but you are right. People feel sad. There is nothing wrong with feeling sad, and expressing it. Thank you for visiting and sharing your thoughts, and helping me feel a bit more confident that next time I write something a bit darker, maybe I won’t want to apologise for it.

Welcome!

Hi! I'm Rachel. I love making things & experimenting with new techinques & mediums. I am addicted to pretty paper, and make & sell letterpress stationery. Being creative is my sanity break from the rush of life as a wife, and a mother of four. I do a lot of my creating without shoes. This is the story of where my bare feet & creative heart take me.

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